Former northeastern Indiana church worker faces theft charge

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - A former worker at a northeastern Indiana church faces a theft charge for allegedly stealing at least $45,000 from the church's payroll and its weekly collections from parishioners.

The Journal Gazette reports that 54-year-old Laura Scheumann was charged Wednesday with one count of theft.

A probable cause affidavit alleges the former business manager at Concordia Lutheran Church stole from church coffers by either tampering with the payroll or dipping into the Fort Wayne church's bank deposits.

Church officials also suspect Scheumann had stolen from donations the church collects from parishioners after services.

Court documents say the allegations against Scheumann were made after a new business manager who started this year following Scheumann's dismissal noticed that Scheumann had paid herself more than was stated in her salary contract.